Take Me Home
by Soss
Summary: Another Friday night at the office leads to an unusual Saturday morning.. I'm upping the rating here.. a few bad words in recent chapters, and adult situations. Kibbs
1. Tiny Tokens

She sighed. It was late, and she was tired, and she sighed. Alone in the bullpen, laying her head gently on her slightly littered desk, she turned her pen between her fingers.

Another Friday night was dragging itself along, raking her over hot coals of unresolved files and mistyped memos… all in the process of becoming Saturday morning. If she could just stay until then.. if she could just hold on until the clock read 12:01. To be able to say she wasn't at home on another Friday night. She dropped the pen quietly and shut her eyes to the dim light that lazily spread over her desk, her papers, her face.

The familiar bell of the elevator intruded on her daydream and as the doors opened, she knew who it was. She knew his footsteps, and she knew them well. She didn't bother lifting her head. _Go home, Kate. It's late, Kate. What are you still doing here, Kate?_ The possibilities were infinite, but she knew and anticipated them all. And she waited.

Silence.

Just as curiosity was about to lift up her head, he placed a cup of coffee down on her desk. Without looking, Kate could feel the corners of his mouth turn up slightly while he stood facing her. She could feel his smile broaden as his footsteps fell away towards his desk. With her head still down, she slowly wrapped her fingers around the cup and let a small grin slide across her lips.

She heard him rummage through some papers, she heard his computer begin to shut down, but she heard the tiny, invisible squeak of his chair as he sat. Kate picked up her head and held the coffee cup between her hands, flexing her fingers. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. And she didn't know why. But she could still feel his eyes on her, despite being able to see him in her peripheral vision anyway.

"Thanks." She finally spoke quietly. She sensed his small nod of acknowledgement, and swiveled her chair to face him. The thoughtful look that met her gaze caught Kate off guard, but she recovered with a shy smile, tilting her head slightly down. She let the hair fall to hide her face, to hide her smile, but more so to hide the blush that crept up on her when she wasn't looking. Kate peered down at the coffee that she held in her lap. The sharing of coffee was one of the tiny tokens of Gibbs-affection that she always looked for. Just tiny tokens.


	2. Fulfilled Hesitation

_Fulfilled Hesitation_

"Kate?"

Kate snapped out of her brief coffee reverie and wondered just how long Gibbs had been trying to get her attention. She looked up to see him still watching her. "Yeah, Gibbs?" To the very best of his ability, he hid the tiny smile tugging at his lips. Gibbs raised a speculative eyebrow and repeated himself slowly, "I said… it's getting pretty late, and I think it's time we call it a night.."

Gibbs got up from his desk mid-sentence, grabbing his coat. He strode over and leaned against Kate's desk, crossing his arms over his chest and looking to her with subtle anticipation. She sighed before finishing off the rest of the coffee and tossing it into the trash bin, onto an already growing pile of empty coffee containers. Nothing like a nice shot of caffeine at the stroke-a midnight, she thought. Kate got up from her chair and grabbed her purse from her bottom desk drawer before turning to get her coat. Gibbs already held her jacket, opening it and offering it to her. Kate's mouth quirked slightly as she slid her arms through the sleeves and picked up her bag. Gibbs walked out in front of her desk, "Ready?" Kate nodded and looked around her desk and then back to Gibbs. "Yep. Ready."

They walked in silence to the elevator, stood just beyond the unspoken boundary of the other's personal space, in silence, on the ride down to ground level. She could smell him; she breathed him in, and sighed him out. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but his attention snapped back to face forward once the elevator doors opened. He held the doors open for her as he followed Kate into the NCIS parking garage. They fell back in step with each other as their heels clicked against the pavement in rhythm. Gibbs reached his car first and Kate turned to face him, she continued to walk another car length down the aisle to her own, "Goodnight Gibbs." She smiled. He loved it. Gibbs didn't smile, but nodded. "Goodnight, Agent Todd." His eyes smirked at her. She loved it. Kate nodded at his gruff farewell and reached her own car. Gibbs fumbled with his keys, stalling with the purpose of waiting to see Kate safely on her way. There were too many abandoned-parking-lot stories for his liking; chivalrous, maybe not, but he waited for her.

Kate unlocked her car and tossed her purse into the back, sliding into the driver's seat. She exhaled as she closed the door and slid her key into the ignition with an ever-so-slightly shaky hand. That's what you get for drinking Gibbs' coffee you jerk. she laughed quietly, but stopped when the engine wouldn't turn over. Kate grumbled, "C'mon, not now..." She closed her eyes and counted to 5 before turning the key again—nothing but the sound of her uncooperative Volvo. She hit her hand lightly on the steering wheel while continuing to test the ignition "… _please_ don't do this to me now you piece of sh--"

She turned her head to a light tapping on her window. She rolled it down and Gibbs leaned slightly into the car. He looked around the interior and then looked to Kate, just a few inches away from her face. "What seems to be the problem, Agent Todd…?" She could smell him real good now. So close that she could feel his breath gracing the side of her neck. She sighed, "Damn.. thing won't.. turn," she punctuated her words as she irritably slapped at the console, trying the key in the ignition again. Gibbs retreated from her open window and opened the backdoor, took her purse from the seat, then gently closed the door. He opened her driver's side and waited for her to get out of the car. She looked up at him, slightly confused. Gibbs raised both eyebrows, softly questioning her. "Well? …Are you coming?" Kate put up the window, took the key from the ignition, and slowly climbed out of the car. "Well… where are we going.." Gibbs sighed as he closed her car door, "It's too late to go fishing underneath the hood of your car to play mechanic." He nodded, "I'll take you home." He slid past her, softly brushing up against her back as she locked the car. Kate stood there for a minute to collect herself. Just a ride, it's just a ride.

They continued on in relatively comfortable silence for most of the drive, mainly from Kate fading in and out of consciousness. He looked over at her a couple times while she was sleeping, and couldn't stop the smile from returning to his face. The smile. His 'Kate smile.' He made his way to her apartment from memory, happy in his success; happy in that he could let her sleep.

Gibbs pulled up to the curb and smoothly put the car in park. He placed a soft hand on her knee and lightly moved her, "Kate… Katie, we're here," he hushed to her. She suppressed a yawn and opened her eyes, suddenly realizing where she was. She turned to him, "Oh, God, I fell asleep--" Kate let out a small laugh, "Sorry Gibbs." She cocked her head to the side and smiled softly, her sleepy eyes spoke volumes of unconscious thought. Gibbs turned back to face front, he shook his head, "Don't be sorry."

"Well," Kate nodded, "thanks for the ride Gibbs." She hesitated slightly, but leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. As he turned his head to say good night, he caught her kiss straight-on. Gibbs raised his eyebrows in momentary shock as Kate hovered in complete alarm. "Oh God," she whispered, for the most part to herself. To run or not to run, that was the question. But before she had time to even formulate an answer, Gibbs covered the remaining few inches that Kate left between them and pressed his lips to hers, softly and squarely, and a few notches above platonic. He ran his tongue lightly against her bottom lip, but quietly withdrew before she had a chance to respond. He sat back in his seat and looked to her. "Goodnight Katie." Her mouth hung open, just slightly, and then she saw the subtle corner of his mouth turn upwards and the familiar smile of amusement in his eyes. She closed her mouth, opened it to speak, but closed it again as she realized she didn't have the words. Kate nodded, with a small, almost undetectable smile, "Goodnight Gibbs."

She climbed out of the car with her bag in hand and closed the door. She walked down the path and up the few steps to her apartment building. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as the wind blew hard in the night. She turned as she stood on the landing, and faced the road. Gibbs rolled down the passenger window and called to her, "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

Kate nodded to him and rummaged for keys. Her head shot up as he was rolling up the window. "Gibbs! Tomorrow's Saturday.."

He didn't smile, but he nodded and called out, "Yeah."

OoOoOoOo


	3. Shattered Expectation

It started to rain quite heavily somewhere between Waverly Terrace and the time she climbed out of the car. Kate stood in the driveway as she watched the taxi pull away from the curb, its taillights rolling off into the night. She looked up at the sky as the rain came down, wondering what she was going to tell him when he asked her why she came. She wrapped her arms around herself and turned to face his house. She walked till she got to the steps of the porch, and stopped.

_This was a bad idea_, she thought. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what was going to come out of her mouth when Gibbs answered the door. _**If** he answers the door_, she said to herself. Kate brought her wrist close enough to her face to make out the time on her watch. She shuddered from the cold and continued to stand there in the pouring rain at 2 o'clock in the morning-- not quite yet able to call for another cab to take her back home. She finally jogged up the steps to his front door and hesitantly pressed the doorbell. Waiting a minute and hearing no movement on the other side of the door, she rang the bell again and knocked on the storm door. She waited, pressing the bell and knocking again, but no one came.

Kate's shoulders fell while the anxiety disappeared from the moment. She walked off the porch and back down the steps into the rain. She looked up to what she could only imagine to be his bedroom window. Feeling like a fool for having come, she felt she'd only feel worse for leaving without some sort of closure. She scooped a handful of gravel from his front walk and made her way across the lawn. _This is absolutely ridiculous._ She tossed the first tiny stone and hit the drain pipe. The next landed on top of the roof. The third hit the edge of one of the shutters. And the last smacked against his window pane… and went right on through. Kate gasped sharply as her hand flew to her mouth, muffling her quiet astonishment. "Oh.. _shit_…" Kate cringed as a soft light filled the room with the now broken window. She wondered how fast she could possibly run when the window, which lay next to her naked vandalism, opened. Gibbs looked down at her, and then slightly leaned out to see the damage. He looked back at Kate with a furrowed brow of utmost confusion, "You broke my window…?" She couldn't look away from him, but she couldn't form the words. "I-I'm sorry," she choked out. Gibbs held up a hand for her to stop. He gently closed the window and disappeared from view. The room went dark once more.

She exhaled and looked at her feet. _Idiot. Good plan_. She walked back to the front path and dropped the remaining gravel that she held in her hand. _That was something **Dinozzo** would have done._ She shut her eyes tight and shook her head at herself.

She hadn't expected the front door to open, or for Gibbs to walk out onto the porch in a bathrobe. Kate stood on the front walk, the cold rain never let up and it seemed it had no intention of stopping. She had her arms dropped at her sides, her hair was wet, clinging to her neck and around her face, her clothes were drenched and soaking. Gibbs finally spoke out, "What are you doing here, Kate…?"

Her mind went into a tailspin. Kate spoke calmly. "Why did you kiss me." It more of a statement than a question. She stood there for what felt like a small eternity. Then she saw him frown slightly. Had she dreamt it all? She started to wonder how long she was asleep for in the car, and the color in her face began to rise.

Lightening sparked off in the distance and Gibbs looked to the sky with slightly perked eyebrows and a small look of concern. The following thunder almost drowned Kate out as she repeated her question, "Why did you kiss me, Gibbs."

He knew she wouldn't listen to any forceful pleas to come in out of the rain. "I don't know.. I don't know what you want to hear, Kate…" She took a few steps towards the porch. He could see the frustrated dismay on her face.

"It's… It's not about what I want to hear," she spoke with just a hint of agitation, "I wanna hear the truth." She stood a few feet away from him, still in the rain, still off the porch.

"Get out of the rain," He grumbled as he reached for her hand and tugged her lightly to stand next to him. He looked at her and tried to speak, finding that he couldn't manage the two tasks at the same time. Gibbs averted his eyes to anywhere but her face. He looked over to the side and became increasingly flustered, "I just don't.. I don't…"

Kate was in awe of his speechlessness, but became visibly impatient. If she was standing there a fool, she wanted to know it. "**_Say_** _something_!" He looked at her sharply as his own wave of agitation washed over him. Frustration towards her impatience, but more towards his own emotional inabilities. "You wanna know why I did it?"

"Yeah," She laughed with a huff, "Yeah, I do!"

"I wanted to! Alright? I've always.. wanted to…!" They fell into a silence, knowing that something important had just happened, and they each felt the anger quietly flowing out of the situation. Kate hadn't expected that. An answer of 'pity,' yes... But certainly not a bottled up proclamation of want.

She kept her hands at her sides and leaned up to kiss him with a small hint of force and a whole lot of need. She stepped closer to him and placed her hands lightly on his chest. His mind finally began to turn and register. His hands went to her shoulders and slid to her neck, cupping her face as he kissed her in return, tenfold.

The thunder seemed to just whisper through the trees as the rain boiled down to a drizzle. The two stood on the porch, their hands on the others' shoulders. Kate was the first to speak as she slipped her hand to the soft crook between his neck and shoulder, "You know, it's late.." she exhaled and nervously looked to a anonymous spot over his shoulder, "you should probably take me home." He crinkled his eyes at her and then raised a single brow, pushing a wet strand of hair behind her ear. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards as his hands fell from her shoulders. He walked to his front door and opened it, motioning to her with his hand, an invitation.


	4. Looking After You

A/N: Sorry this is later than I had hoped.. was not very nice to me yesterday ;) So. Read on.

The only sound to be heard throughout the entire house was the quiet groaning of floorboards on the second floor and the steady drops of water falling from the ends of Kate's clothes. She stood in the kitchen, waiting patiently on the kitchen rug that caught the excess water that fell from her as she slowly began to dry out. Alone with her thoughts, she began second guessing herself, and forgetting the scene that had just played out moments before. Just as those thoughts began to fade, Gibbs came through the kitchen entryway, towel in hand.

He couldn't help but feel compelled to lend a hand to dry her, but he handed her the towel without a word. Standing a foot or so apart, an air of subtle awkwardness settled between them in the silence. Kate wrung out her hair and gave it a gentle ruffle with the towel as she went on to pat her blouse and rub dry her jeans. She stopped suddenly and dropped her arms to her sides, looking down at her still dampened self. Kate looked up to him with a sad smile of self defeat. She chuckled as she shook her head softly, "This is a lost cause, Gibbs." He smiled quietly as he took the towel from her hand and squeezed her shoulder lightly. "C'mon," he said, turning sharply and heading out of the kitchen and down the hall.

She followed a few feet behind him as they climbed the stairs. He led her into a bathroom down the hall. Holding up a finger, he motioned for her to stay put, leaving her alone in the bathroom and disappearing into one of the bedrooms. She looked around the room and made note of everything being neater than she had expected. _Although this is just the bathroom. A hall bathroom_, she thought as she ran her hand over the slick marble counter. _He probably doesn't even use it_. She heard his footsteps returning and he appeared in the doorway, holding a small pile of clothes. He stepped forward and placed the clothes in her arms, their eyes never leaving the other's, his hand unintentionally grazing her arm. "They should fit you fine. Probably too big," he mumbled. She nodded and waited for him to step out of the bathroom, but he just stood there. She noticed how he looked rather lost, if not internally confused. He had his eyes cast off to the side and turned his head towards her. "Do you want coffee?" he asked suddenly.

Kate smiled. "It's pretty late..." she said softly. He considered her response thoughtfully and nodded. "Right." He paused and nodded again, and slowly stepped away and out of the bathroom. "Take what you need, however long you need." He disappeared down the hall again, leaving her standing in his bathroom, damp and alone, holding what she imagined to be a small heap of his own clothes. She smiled as she closed the door.

She emerged a few minutes later in a pair of his soft gray sweatpants and an old NCIS tshirt. Her bare feet padded faintly against the hard wood. She came to the stairs, but the first floor seemed completely dark, so she went on, continuing down the hall. She followed the light that filtered from one of the open bedroom doors at the end of the corridor and stood in the doorway. Gibbs lay on the bed, reading what appeared to be one of their recent case files, with the reading glasses he never seemed to need. He noticed her presence and looked at her over the top rim of his glasses. Putting the file down in his lap when she didn't move from the doorway, he arched an eyebrow slightly. "You can come in you know." He quipped. He studied her briefly, but completely, his eyes lingered on hers as he picked the file back up and continued reading. "I don't usually bite." Kate let out a small laugh as she made her way over to the huge bed, slowly climbing on top of it. She lay next to him, close but still at a comfortable distance, contemplating-- and he knew her wheels were turning— he didn't bother her train of thought as he went on examining the case file.

She turned over slowly, off of her back, to face him. "Gibbs, we—"

"I know.." He looked over at her. "I know we need to talk, but.. I don't think we should.. at," Gibbs glanced at the clock beside the bed, "almost 3 o'clock in the morning." He tipped his glasses further down his nose in order to look at her squarely. "We'll talk.. okay..?" Kate nodded, she suddenly and quietly took notice of the sheet that patched the offending broken window. She ducked her head with a guilty smile and curled slightly on the bed. He looked over at her once again, and gazed over at the window. Grumbling lightly, "Oh yeah." He turned the page in the file. "Don't think I'm going to forget about that either." Kate just smiled as she watched him read, slowly drifting in and out of sleep. "Gibbs.. can I stay here." She tried to suppress a yawn. He nodded and deadpanned, "Unless you were planning on calling another cab.. 'cos _I'm_ not driving you anywhere." When she didn't reply, he turned his head to see that sleep had finally claimed her for a second time that night. He grinned as he saw her smiling, her eyes closed, her towel-dried hair fanned over the pillow, with one hand beneath her head and the other laying towards him in the middle of the bed. He pulled a heavy blanket over her, and got underneath some blankets himself. As he resumed reading the case file for the last time, he gently edged his hand into hers. Flexing his fingers tenderly, he felt her softly, unconsciously, squeeze his hand.


	5. Hit the Ground, Baby

A full moon hung low in the sky as it illuminated the predawn through a few loitering storm clouds. The soft light came lazily through the blinds, casting shadows around the bedroom and streaking across Gibbs' sleeping face. As Kate was turning over to face him mid-slumber, a crack of thunder startled her from her dreaming. She opened her eyes and was at a loss, feeling that momentary drunken confusion of waking up in a strange place. As her eyes readjusted to the dark, her situation also came back to her. Gibbs. She looked over to him and took in every line, every arch, every inch of his face that she never had the guts or the opportunity to investigate and toil over. At least never with an awake-Gibbs, or one that didn't live in a photograph. The gentle creases of crows feet, the arch of his brow down to the bridge of his nose, the lines of worry and determination that often passed over his features— she was engrossed by every inch of him, and all she wanted to do was touch him to make absolutely certain she was really there.

He was dreaming with a slight frown that defined his worry lines. She would have gently smoothed her thumb along his forehead in the hopes of easing whatever subconsciously weighed him down… if she hadn't thought he'd flip her over onto her back for accidentally waking a sleeping marine. _That might not be so bad_… she thought with a little smile. Instead of pressing whatever luck it was she was living on, she eased herself underneath the sheets and comforter, tossing the extra blanket to the foot of the bed. She lay back on her side and resumed her beautiful scrutiny. _How can this possibly be happening._

There comes a point in a person's composure where restraint no longer exists in its original, typical capacity. Kate found herself reaching that edge rather quickly. She inched closer until they lay chest to chest; she nuzzled into him lightly, reflexively. Gibbs responded sleepily to this new warm body and wrapped an arm around her with a small grunt, unconsciously breathing her name into her hair.

Another clap of thunder echoed through the sky and as Kate jumped a little, Gibbs softly squeezed her small frame tighter to him. She tilted her head back to look into his face and pressed a tentative kiss to his throat and several more along the side of his neck. Another faint grunt was the ushered response. Inching up his body carefully, any remnants of her restraint were gone. The pale light that radiated over them illuminated her task. She pressed her lips to his as Gibbs' mind slowly started to climb out of his hazy sleep. He smoothly brought his hand up from her back and into her hair, kissing her bottom lip slowly before deepening what she had started. The need for air became increasingly apparent as they broke away, but they parted just barely. Kate returned his warm and steady stare, and was almost startled to see the spontaneous and unconditional affection, if not pure love, that was gazing back at her. Gibbs swallowed after regrouping himself. "Thought we were gonna talk.." he whispered. Kate brought a hand up, grazing her fingertips across his lips. She shook her head musingly and replied softly under her breath, "I just want to kiss you.."

Gibbs placed a faint kiss into her palm and looked back to her, and as he paused in thought, she could see a small, unseen battle going on behind his eyes. He gave a little nod and murmured to her, "I can do that.." Kate grinned sleepily and slipped her hand to the side of his face, pressing her lips firm and flush with his. A rush of lightening lit up the room as the rain came pouring down again, but Kat didn't jump with the crackle of thunder. Gibbs ran the tip of his tongue along the edge of her lip as he rolled her onto her back and hovered over her. His hands rested on either side of her, holding himself up, straddling but refusing to lay flush against her. Kate smiled through the increasingly heated kisses, drawing his bottom lip languidly between hers; she pulled him down to lay flat on top of her. Being propped up slightly on his elbows, he brushed the hair out of her face and gently cupped her softly reddened cheeks. She leaned up and kissed him hard as she rolled them both over a second time, resting on top of him triumphantly, raking her hands down his chest. Gibbs arched an eyebrow towards her, but continued a stealthy exploration of every crevice and niche of her mouth, rubbing every inch of her back. The heat, the confusion, the absolute fervor that had been building beneath their surface had finally been realized after all these years as everything went from a simmer to a boil. He rolled over with her again, however, miscalculating what remained of the bed. They crashed to the floor with a monstrous thud, blankets, sheets and all. Gibbs, now on top of her, looked down to Kate with a gruff but equally horrified expression. Before he could even form the words to ask about her own wellbeing, Kate exploded with laughter. He opened his mouth in confusion, and closed it again as he watched her little fit of hysterics, still scanning her with worried eyes for any injuries. She began to calm down a little, and the laughter began to subside. But as she looked up to see his penetrating look of concern and confusion, Kate broke down again with a snort of amusement. He fell lightly down on top of her, laughing till they cried. She wrapped her arms around his middle softly, each of them slowly regaining their composure. He leaned up off of her in order to see her face, and she smiled, her cheeks wet with tears of laughter. "I… I think you misjudged the landing there.. Skipper." She could swear a blush made its way across his face, if he wasn't already flushed from their mild hysteria. He nodded solemnly with a small smirk that lifted the corner of his mouth ever so gently. "Are you alright?" He said hoarsely, running a hand down her arm and then up again to delicately check the back of her head. She nodded with a smile and a soft murmur, "I'm fine…"

The dying moon light flooded the bedroom, shadows moving lazily over the walls and floors as Gibbs helped Kate to her feet. They piled back into the bed, no distance between them this time. Gibbs lay on his back, watching the shadows on the ceiling cast from the branches of the oak that stood outside the bedroom window. Kate placed her head on his shoulder and took an intimate chance by lacing her leg over Gibbs'. He placed a soft, almost undetectable kiss into her hair. The moon soon died away as Saturday morning made itself known and washed over the sleeping pair.

((Thank you for all the wonderful reviews :) You like reading it, I love writing it.   
And I should add that "Hit the Ground" is a contagiously mellow song by Lizz Wright  
It helped me through this chapter ;) ))


	6. Snafu

Even with several late night excursions, Gibbs got up with the sun. He woke up, his memory carefully piecing itself back together. Kate was still asleep, curled up next to him with her head buried into his side and underneath all the blankets. He grinned. But it faded as a look of regretful confusion quickly flickered across his face. Turning his gaze away from Kate, he carefully disentangled himself from her and the blankets and made his way to the bathroom. He rubbed his face, slow and rough, and closed the bathroom door behind him. Gibbs looked in the mirror, slowly running his hands through his disheveled hair and then rested his hands on the sides of the sink. He hung his head as he exhaled deeply. Shaking his head feebly, he looked back at himself in the mirror. "You're too old for this…" he mumbled. Splashing his face with ice cold water, he took a hand towel and rubbed his face dry, trying to erase his muddled uncertainty. He peeled off his t-shirt as he turned on the shower.

An hour or so later, Kate woke up in a dreamy haze and gradually realized she was alone. She looked around the room and saw her clothes on the dresser, washed and dried, folded neatly on top of a clean towel. Rolling out of the bed with a yawn, she scooped up her clothes and the towel and scuffled towards the bathroom, ruffling her hair as she went. When she got to the stairs, she heard little movement on the first floor, but knew he was down there. She needed a shower desperately, so she decided to postpone her Good Mornings until after she felt a little more presentable.

Kate stepped into the hot shower with a sigh-- she felt unusually safe in these new surroundings. She reflected on how something, someone.. that seemed so far out of reach a day ago, could come upon her so suddenly. She grinned as she let the water come falling down over her head to rinse away the clouds of soap suds.

The overwhelming aroma of coffee hit her once she made her way down the stairs. Kate cautiously walked into the kitchen to find Gibbs staring into a coffee cup. She could immediately sense something was wrong. "Morning.." she said softly, not wanting to startle him completely. She stood in the entryway, and he didn't lift his head to look at her, only his eyes, underneath a heavy brow. He nodded before he nursed his coffee, casting his eyes back to the table. "Good morning," He said, still holding his mug to his lips, "... there's some coffee left." He motioned over to the coffee pot on the counter top. Kate nodded silently and walked over to his cabinets, grabbed a cup and poured herself, what smelled to be, some seriously, unusually, strong coffee. She leaned against the counter, mug in hand, patiently watching Gibbs' profile. _Maybe it's work_, she thought. It wouldn't have been the first time a case had interrupted their weekends. _He would have woken me up if it was work…_

"This isn't going to work." He said curtly, pausing, and then taking another sip of coffee. Mid-mouthful of coffee, Kate's eyes widened a bit as they peered over the rim of her cup. "What…? What won't work, Gibbs?"

He continued to stare at the table top. "You. And me." He looked over at her. "This." The pain the flashed across her face made Gibbs grimace internally. On the surface he remained stone-faced. _This is for her own good_, he kept repeating to himself. _Her own good…_

She put her coffee cup down on the counter and briskly walked over to the table, sitting in the chair next to him. "You don't mean that.. do you..?" She looked to him with troubled, anxious eyes. "Do you, Gibbs?" His jaw clenched as his mouth remained a firm line; he refused to look at her. Kate brought up her hand to turn his face towards her, and he turned his head away from her touch. She recoiled slightly, her lips parted as if to make a sound, but nothing came out. She looked as if someone had just back-handed her across the face. "What happened…" she said slowly.

He grunted and spoke to her sternly. "Nothing _happened_.. It's… there's too much at stake. For everyone. It wouldn't work. It's not—" She finished the sentence, "--worth it. It's not worth it…?" She said incredulously. He didn't stop her, he didn't correct her. He swallowed heavily, "We got caught up." He looked to her, "I got caught up. It shouldn't have happened. And it can't happen… do you understand?" Kate's eyes began to glaze over with a thin layer of tears that she would never admit to, not to him, not now. She stood up so fast he thought the chair should have crashed to the floor. She felt suffocated. She needed to get out. Kate walked swiftly out of the kitchen, snatching the car keys off the counter. Gibbs nearly dropped his coffee cup with the earth shattering slam of his front door. He slammed the mug down on the table and watched it fall apart. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed, rubbing his face as the coffee spread and dripped slowly to the floor. His head snapped up and he bolted for the door as he heard the engine rev. He ran out onto his porch. "THAT'S **MY** CAR." He jogged onto the front walk as Kate peeled out of his driveway and sped down the road. He sighed, "That's my car." Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck as he grumbled and walked back into the house, firmly shutting the door.

Kate drove down the road until she was certain she was a safe enough distance away, safe from Gibbs ever being able to catch up to her. She pulled off the road as tears spilled onto her cheeks and trickled down her face. What did she do…? _Why was he doing this_? She rested her forehead against the cold steering wheel as her shoulders heaved slightly underneath her sobs of disbelief.

-----------------------------

A/N: Ahhh why did I turn evil. We needed some turmoil... :)


	7. Mystery Achievement

"Abby Sciuto speaking.." Abby spoke slowly, slurring most of her yawned-out words. It was still early for a Saturday morning, one that, for once, wasn't filled with work.

"Abs, I need you to pick me up." Gibbs spoke short, but not so sweet, which wasn't terribly unusual. It was him saying "need" that peaked her attention. Gibbs fiercely rummaged through his desk, pushing around papers and slamming drawers, looking for his extra set of house and car keys.

"Gibbs?" Abby yawned again and rolled over in bed. She made a labored grab for her alarm clock to see the time— she frowned when she realized it read 7:15AM. "Boss-man. It's 8 o'clock in the morning on a Saturday.. You know that, right?" She sat up and stretched out her arms. "It's 7:15 Abby, and yes, I am aware. Are you _awake__ now_?" He punctuated his words with sharp frustration.

"You need me to pick you up."

"Yes."

"…Right now?"

"_Yes_!"

Abby began to ramble off her drowsy confusion, something Gibbs was not willing to handle at the moment. "Where are you, I mean, where's your car and—" Gibbs closed his eyes, stopped the search for his keys and slammed the receiver end of his phone against the desk several times. Abby grimaced and pulled the phone away from her ear until she was certain the tantrum had stopped.

"Abby."

"Right. You really shouldn't do that to your cellphone Gibbs, it's—"

"**Abby**.."

"Sorry.. are you home?" Gibbs sighed and hung his head. "Yes Abby."

She was awake now, perky and concerned. "Alright Gibbs.. I um, I'll be there in 15.."

"5." Gibbs snapped his cellphone shut as he found his keys and shoved them into his coat pocket along with the phone. He wandered into the living room and sat down heavily on the couch. Looking around, he ran an aimless hand through his hair—he began to feel something he absolutely hated. Helpless. He got up suddenly and went outside, sitting on the steps of the front porch as he waited for Abby.

He kept dialing and redialing Kate's number in vain, but she refused to pick up. Soon the calls just started going straight to her voicemail. He grumbled when he realized she turned off her phone. So many rules broken in such a short amount of time. The institutions he'd set in motion to keep the world secure were quickly crumbling. Abby pulled up to the curb and interrupted his train of thought as she honked the horn. A hopeful part of him looked up and expected to see his car parked in front of him, with Kate inside. He exhaled and stood up when he saw that it wasn't the case. Gibbs strode down the front walk and went into the street, stopping by the driver's side door as the window rolled down. A pair of black pigtails and big black sunglasses looked up at him.

"Boss man, what's happenin'!" She tilted her sunglasses down to get a good look at him. "Man, you look like shi—" Gibbs opened her door and reached over, unbuckling her seatbelt. She looked to him, "What's goin' on?" He motioned for her scoot to the passenger's side, "Move over Abs." Abby did as she was told and before she knew it Gibbs was driving her car and was already half way down the road. She looked around and then looked over at him, re-buckling her seatbelt, "Where we going Gibbs? What happened?" He just grumbled something completely inaudible as he made a sharp turn to get onto the main road. She winced as her tires made a wrenching squeak against the asphalt, "It's a new car Gibbs.. try not to obliterate my transmission, okay?" He stepped on the gas and went from 50 mph to 75. She stayed quiet for the rest of the ride.

They pulled into NCIS and drove through the semi-abandoned parking garage. Gibbs spotted his sedan, parked and deserted in the space next to where Kate's car should still have been. He pulled alongside the sedan and parked. They both got out of Abby's car as Gibbs tugged his cell phone out of his pocket and tried calling Kate. Abby subtly investigated his car while she waited for him to tell her what the hell was happening. She looked over and decided to approach him before he threw his phone to shatter on the pavement. Abby carefully touched his back to make him turn, she spoke softly. "Where's Kate, Gibbs?" He turned around, faster than he would have liked to from an emotionally revealing standpoint, and stared at her with a questioning look. She sighed and pointed over to the car, "Kate's cellphone is laying on the driver's seat." Gibbs groaned as he went to his sedan, taking out his keys. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach, but he wasn't ready to acknowledge it. He turned to Abby, "You have a spare key to her apartment, don't you."

"I, well. Yes?" He made his way back to Abby and held out his hand, waiting for it. She shook her head and put up her hands. "Wait, wait, and wait. What happened! Where did Kate go and why did she steal your car..? I'm assuming she stole your car .." Abby didn't appear to be taking Kate's key off of her key ring anytime soon as she stood and stared at Gibbs expectantly. He huffed and drew back his hand, shoving it into his pocket to match his other one. He returned her glare and was silent, but he eventually relented, looking off to the side. "Her car wouldn't start last night. I drove her home. And…" he wondered how he was going to finish this story without having Abby dancing in the middle of this parking lot. "We had a little disagreement. Is that alright with you Abs?" She just nodded, calming a little at the sight of Gibbs becoming melancholy and defensive. He sighed and looked around, "I just don't understand how she got her car out of here." Abby laughed and Gibbs looked to her with raised eyebrows. "What's funny?"

She smiled. "You wouldn't know it to look at her?" she hushed her voice a little, "But she's actually really good with cars." She nodded at Gibbs' confusion. _She let me drive her home anyway_, he thought. "Don't tell Tony," she tried to laugh a little, but it didn't seem to amuse him at all. "Does that answer yer question, Gibbs?"

He looked to her and held out his hand once again. "Can I have the key now?" Abby exhaled deeply and started to remove the key from her ring, mumbling, "She's gonna kill me." She placed the key into his open palm and closed his fingers around it, "Don't get me into trouble okay?" Gibbs just gave her a nod as he went back to his car. Abby called after him, "You know, this goes against _every_ code of friend ethics _ever_!" She sighed as he just gave her a wave out of his window as he pulled out of the garage at a dangerous speed.

---------------------------

A/N: I'm writing the 8th chapter as we speak.. I didn't want to leave you without any kibbs ;)  
But this filler had to be done. I'm running into some writer's block (say it ain't so..) so.. I'm doing my best :)

Love to everyone


	8. Catalyst

The smell of her still lingered in the car. Gibbs began to drive to her apartment in a haze. _And what are you gonna do then? Apologize? For what, being a bastard?_ "I **am **a bastard," he muttered to himself. He pulled out his phone again and called her apartment— it rang until the machine picked up, Kate's voice reached out to him over the telephone lines. "_Hello, you've reached Caitlin Todd. I can't come to the phone right now but_ p_lease leave your name and number and_ _I'll get back to you as soon as I am able_.. :**BEEP**: "

"Kate, _Kate.._ if you're there pick up." He waited for a few seconds and sighed into the phone, hanging up. He started feeling a little sick with thoughts of something having happened to her. If anything happened… but he pushed the thought away, far back into the corner of his mind and continued on towards her apartment. Nothing happened. But if he could just see she was okay…

Four hours later, Gibbs walked through his front door. He tossed his keys onto the hall table and went into the kitchen to make coffee. Kate was still no where to be found. No one was at her apartment, but neither was her car. At least he had that to go on.. if she was missing and her car was around, then they'd have some trouble. _She's driving it off_, he kept telling himself. He began to clean up the mess he had made earlier that morning, picking up the pieces of the shattered mug and then kneeling down to clean up the rest of the spilled coffee. An unusual wave came over him as he mopped up the mess. If he let the feeling consume him, he believed he very well could have cried. But he shook his head and tried to shake the feeling as he stood up to throw away the soaked paper towels. _She's fine_, his mind told him. "I know…" he whispered to no one, "I know." He wiped his hands and took a new cup of coffee down to the basement.

The sun had dipped beneath the horizon and the wind began to pick up, giving a sharp chill to the air. Earlier, Kate had gone back to her apartment, missing Gibbs by a matter of minutes. After taking another shower and changing her clothes, she had called Abby to have a few drinks with her at happy hour. Now she stood outside the bar, catching her breath and getting a good dose of fresh air. Normally she hated drinking, being drunk and feeling out of control, but somehow she needed it. She was sobering up a little as the cold wind spread across her face and whipped her hair. _Tipsy_, she thought. _I'm not drunk_… She leaned against the brick wall and sighed. Abby on the other hand.. Kate had called McGee to pick her up, and they had pulled away, leaving a few minutes ago. He asked if she wanted a ride home, but she declined. She appeared more sober than she actually was, so Tim had nodded and accepted her answer, knowing she was too stubborn to be coerced into going home. She stumbled a little as she made her way back into the bar. _How in the hell are you getting home_, she thought to herself. Kate climbed onto a bar stool and ordered another martini, propping herself up on an elbow, her chin resting in her hand. She drank slowly, trying not to notice the lewd stares she was receiving from the guy at the end of the bar.

Gibbs walked into his team's usual after-hours hang out. He needed a drink. But he really came in the hopes of finding a trace of Kate. He sat down at the bar and ordered a cool glass of Scotch. As he nursed the drink with care, he could sense a scuffle starting down towards the other end of the bar. He didn't want to get involved in a domestic dispute between a drunken couple, but he kept an eye on the potentially escalating situation.

"_What's-a-matter baby, don'tchu know a good thing whenya see one_?"

Gibbs noticed the woman had her back to the man who desperately pursued her. She sloughed him off her shoulder and went back to her drink. "_Oh c'mon sweetheart don't be like that..._" he slurred has he turned her around to face him, nearly knocking her off her barstool. Gibbs was just about to call the bartender's attention to the situation before he saw the guy grope and grab at her sides, the woman yelled heatedly, "_Are you **kidding** me? Get the fuck off me jackass.._!" Kate. Gibbs was out of his seat in a second and pushing his way through the incredible throng of people. He saw Kate push the guy away and hit at him, slapping him in the face. The man viciously shoved her into the bar and threw a punch. Kate went reeling, but her training recovered her quickly. But her drunkenness seemed to prohibit that training from following all the way through… as pure raging instinct kicked in, she leapt onto the guy's back and began beating him senseless. Gibbs eyes went wide as he reached the eye of the fight. He grabbed at Kate, trying to peel her off the guy's back. "Kate! _Kate!_!" Gibbs finally got a good grip on her and removed her from the situation, Kate was still throwing punches. As he turned back to face the guy he was about to pull his weapon on, the drunk cocked his fist and sucker-punched Gibbs in the face. Momentarily stunned as he staggered a bit, Gibbs regained his footing and slammed his fist against the man's face, connecting squarely with his jaw. One shot was all Gibbs needed as the guy went down, out cold.

Exhaling and rubbing his sore cheek, he turned to face Kate. She stood in a quiet daze with a split lip and an already swelling cheek of her own. He gently put his hand on her shoulder, slowly drawing her attention. In the middle of the clamor and commotion that surrounded them, he squeezed her arm softly and led her protectively out of the bar and out onto the street.


	9. Healing Over

The cool air hit them with such a force when they emerged from the chaos of the bar. Kate felt a little more alert, from the cold, the prior upheaval, and the throbbing of her cheek, but her body didn't quite feel the need to cooperate. She swayed and staggered in her high heels, quickly feeling Gibbs' grip tighten around her shoulders to keep her from falling. Perhaps if she was as intoxicated as she was earlier, she might have caused a scene. She might have pushed him away and yelled at him, even if it meant falling ass backwards onto the hard cement. She would have informed him that she didn't need his protection, didn't need him to defend her. Maybe she would have told him to go save something that was worth it. But she couldn't find the energy, and she couldn't make herself make a scene.

Gibbs walked her slowly away from the bar and closer to his car parked down the street. Every emotion he could have imagined ran through his head, but his main concern was taking her home and getting ice for her eye. _Ice for everyone_, he thought as he reminded himself of his own battle scar. He gently turned her around to face him, leaning her against the passenger door of his car— giving her a once over and waiting for her to look at him. Kate stared down at her feet, closing her eyes briefly to make the world stop spinning. Gibbs had one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip, keeping her steady, ready to keep her from falling. She swallowed hard and put her hands on his forearms, sliding them up to grip his arms at the crooks of each of his elbows. He saw her start to shiver and he brought her closer to him, away from the car door. He unlocked and opened it for her, cautiously guiding her into the passenger's seat, and once he was sure she was all in, he shut the door carefully.

The car dipped slightly as Gibbs slid behind the wheel, closing the door as he buckled his seatbelt. Kate slowly buckled her own and nervously laid her hands in her lap. He just flexed his fingers with his hands on the steering wheel, wondering whether to take her to her apartment or to bring her back home with him.. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Gibbs finally started the car, pulling away from the curb and into the evening traffic. She let out a soft and shuddering sigh as the street lights passed by slowly, she watched the blurs go by outside her window. The strain she felt became increasingly difficult to handle. _You're going to cry aren't you.. what are you gonna cry for..? Don't cry, Kate.. please, don't cry_, she told herself when she felt that tight feeling rising in her throat and threatening to overwhelm her. She faced forward and didn't make a sound as the tension of the day squeezed warm tears from her, sliding down her cheeks. She didn't bother wiping them away.

"I'm sorry.." She said suddenly and hoarsely, startling Gibbs out of his thoughtful haze. His eyebrows rose slightly and he turned to look at her while they approached a stoplight. "I'm sorry I stole your car," Kate continued softly, turning her head just enough to see his face. His mouth quirked slightly, but he kept his smirk of surprise concealed as he raised a single eyebrow. But his heart broke a little when he saw the tear streaks running down her face. He nodded and turned his eyes back to the road. "Don't be sorry," he said gruffly. Kate swallowed and softly rested her head against the cool glass of the car window.

She wasn't all that surprised when she realized they were pulling into his driveway. She unbuckled her seatbelt when Gibbs got out of the car, coming around to open her door. He held out a hand to her. She looked at his offering and then up to his face, sliding her hand into his as he helped her out of the car. They got to the porch and Kate leaned against the house underneath the porch light while Gibbs pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. She kept her nausea at bay as he led her inside. It didn't bother him that they were operating in silence. It bothered him that she wasn't yelling at him, or refusing his help, but he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit grateful at her temporary vulnerability. He couldn't help her if she fought him, and he couldn't try and make things right if she wasn't there. He brought her back up to the bathroom, walking behind her on the stairs to make certain she didn't fall. As they climbed the steps, he saw her shirt rise a little, exposing a small area of skin. He grimaced faintly when he saw her lower back was already taking on a reddish purple where she had been pushed against the edge of the bar. He guided her into the bathroom and sat her down on the closed toilet seat.

He lifted her chin with an index finger, tilting her face up to him so he could see her straight on. Gently holding her chin between two fingers, he rubbed his thumb softly over the skin below her lower lip. He examined her lip and her swelling cheek and then looked into her dark eyes. The bewilderment in them made him want to smile, but the sadness he also saw made him sorry. His hand lingered by her face but he withdrew, stepping away from her, but not breaking eye contact. "Stay." He said abruptly in a low voice as he walked out of the bathroom and went down the stairs to the kitchen. Filling a glass with cold water, he wrapped a handful of ice cubes in a dish towel and made his way back upstairs. He entered the bathroom to find her exactly where he left her; she had a hand on the edge of the sink to keep her upright. He could sense a hint of embarrassment in her body language, as her head hung down, her hair falling into her face. Squatting down in front of her, he brushed some hair out of her face to make her look at him. "Here. Drink this.." he handed her the glass of water which she accepted gratefully, slowly drinking until her dry mouth was gone. He took it from her when she was finished and placed it on the edge of the bathtub. Touching her cheek gently, she winced reflexively but allowed him to examine her face. He shook his head as he pushed his hands off his thighs in order to stand up and motioned for her to do the same. "C'mon.. My knees aren't cut out for this.." She stood in front of him and Gibbs maneuvered her to stand with her back to the bathroom counter. As he wrapped his hands around her waist tightly, he lifted her up and onto the countertop. He stood in front of her and nodded his satisfaction at the new arrangement, taking the make-shift ice pack and gently pressing it to her cheek. Kate brought up her hand, brushing against his, and held the ice in place as he went in one of the cabinet drawers, getting peroxide and some cotton. She watched him intently as he assessed her split lip, diligently caring for it and cleaning the dried blood that had formed. He was too wrapped up in his first-aid to return her eye contact, but he looked to her briefly before returning to finish up her lip with a swab of peroxide. The corner of his mouth lifted just a little when he was done. Kate dropped down her hand along with the ice pack from her cheek. She swallowed and brought the ice back up and softly pressed it to Gibbs' cheek. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Gibbs.."

His eyes remained closed. "You shouldn't be here, Kate. Not with me." He slowly lifted his eyes to look at her. She scoffed and let out a laugh with a little irritation, slowly dropping the ice pack away from his face. "I know all about protocol Gibbs, I just—"

"No." He shifted his eyes from hers and dropped them to focus on her lip. "I said what I said.. because you shouldn't be with _me…_ I am not.. who you should be with. I'm.. not _young_ anymore, Kate.. I'm a.. a cranky bastard with bad habits and—"

"Hey," she interrupted him as she put a hand on his shoulder, "I think I know who I should be with.. I'm not interested in what you're not. I want what you are, Gibbs.." she said, carefully articulating her words as she slipped her hand to the back of his neck. Running the collar of his shirt through her fingers as she brought her hand down to lie on his chest. "I like you." She said softly, gently patting his chest.

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he stared at her in a kind of blind amazement. He leaned into her and pressed his lips to hers, wary of her superficial injury. But Kate didn't seem to mind as she drew him in closer, kissing him long and slow, running her fingers into his hair and softly dragging her fingernails. She felt a low groan resonating from the back of Gibbs' throat which lit a small fire in the bottom of her stomach. He ran his hands down her back, coming to rest on her backside, pulling her closer. Kate wrapped her legs around his waist, scooting closer to him so their bodies were up against one another and gave him a squeeze, draping her arms over his shoulders. Gibbs tasted the salt on her lips from the tears of the day mixed with a subtle trace of vermouth. He plundered her mouth with a fervor he wasn't previously aware of as he ran a slow hand down the thigh of her jeans when she moaned into his mouth. He suddenly remembered the alcohol that was probably still running through her veins. Slowly, very slowly, he broke off the kiss and marveled at her slightly swollen lips from his intimate assault. He ran a thumb lightly over her bottom lip as he licked his own lips instinctively. "I think we should wait.. before we do anything.." he said breathily. Her head was swimming, so she probably would have agreed to just about anything, but she nodded, running a hand through his hair. She leaned into him again and kissed him slow, withdrawing and then leaning her forehead against his. "You believe me don't you.." she said huskily.

"Hmm?" he hummed, squeezing her hips and slipping his hands into her back pockets. "That I _like_ you…" She seemed to purr. Gibbs smiled very softly and whispered, "I like you, too."


	10. Morning After

A/N: So sorry for the writer's block that kept this last chapter from you. But it's here.. and this is the last chapter of my first story. My glorified, once-upon-a-time-one-shot. Thanks to everyone for reading and for all of your absolutely _wonderful _reviews. They always make me smile.

And a tremendous thank you to Sammie for beta'ing this last chapter. :) so many kudos to you :)

So, read on my lovelies. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Kate's chest rose in rhythm with the clock on the bedside table as Gibbs watched her sleep with quiet satisfaction. He could sense the impending grimaces of nausea that would be passing across her flushed face in the hours to come, but for now she slept rather peacefully by his side. He smiled at the thought of scolding her in the morning; standing in the door jam of the bedroom with a smirk and a stern brow, lightheartedly lecturing her on the many consequences of drinking as she sat on the edge of the bed, head in her hands, gently moaning for him to be quiet. 

He laid there watching her face, her eyes softly fluttering behind closed lids, her lips slightly parted, her chest rising and falling with every slow breath she took. Kate turned in her sleep, curling into him and burying her face into his side. He smiled, running a gentle hand over her back. Gibbs traced light circles on her lower back and stared absently at the ceiling, suddenly furrowing his brow in careful meditation, and then letting it slowly rise into his own soft epiphany. He liked her...

He glanced down at Kate's small hand resting on his chest and gently moved his hand to cover hers. He liked her? He did. _Actually_, he slowly thought to himself, _I love her… I… what—?_ His eyes fluttered down to look at her with such heavy realization. He had always been aware of his liking for this woman— hell, his childish infatuation was a part of his desire to have her on his team. He tried desperately to remember when lust and curiosity turned into love and affection. When had this gone beyond his conscious control?

Gibbs carefully rolled Kate away from him, enough to see her face as she slept. His eyes performed a slow study of her, looking for an answer, searching for something that maybe he had missed. He brought his hand up to her face, running a rough thumb gently over her cheek, and a soft smile drew upon her sleeping lips. Never bringing his eyes away from her, he settled down further into the bed, making it so they were eye to eye, with their heads on the same pillow. He couldn't come to a conclusion, and he couldn't provide a date, but whenever it was that Caitlin Todd became Katie in his mind, Gibbs had silently fallen in love. He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead before drifting off, fighting sleep till the very end in order to watch her dream.

Gibbs wasn't aware he had fallen asleep until the sun splashed across his face, waking him and gradually persuading his eyes to open. With a slow yawn he shifted and was about to climb out of bed when a hand gently clasped around one of his wrists. Startled, Gibbs looked over to see Kate gazing back at him groggily, having been lying next to him semi-awake for the last 20 minutes. She gave him a small smile and lured him back onto the bed with a soft tug.

"You misbehave when you leave…" she said, her voice still dripping with sleep. She watched him closely, her eyes filled with mirth and drowsy concern. She didn't want him to leave again— physically or emotionally. He lay back down next to her and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, touching her slightly bruising cheek to ease any of her doubts. He smirked at her, his eyes twinkled with silent laughter as he teased her in a low voice, "How are you _feeling_ today..." She rolled her eyes at him as a tiny smile played upon her lips. She sat up slowly, swinging her legs off the edge of the bed till her feet touched the floor. His eyebrows rose in amusement as she turned her back to him. Kate ran her hands through her hair, squinting and pressing her fingertips to her temples with a low grunt— a smile quickly flashed across his face before he assumed his somber demeanor and moved from the bed. Gibbs firmly cleared his throat, arching a typical Gibbs-ian eyebrow as he walked to her side of the room.

He leaned against the dresser, gruffly taunting, "You know, binge drinking is something you should _probably_ want to reconsider... for someone your age and all, it—"

Kate groaned softly as she rubbed her eyes with her open palms, murmuring some inaudible obscenity as she fell backwards onto the bed. She grew silent as she laid there, her arms sprawled over her head, her hands clenching and unclenching into tiny fists of uneasiness. A slow exhale escaped her.

"Where are we, Gibbs…?"

His brow twitched beneath the weight of her question. Still leaning on the edge of the dresser, he folded his arms across his chest with slightly raised eyebrows and downcast eyes. "Where do you _want_ to be..?" he replied coolly, not really knowing the answer to either of their questions. He felt the need to know where she stood before he stepped further out into the open, before he became any more naked than he already felt in front of her. Remembering her cheeks streaked with tears was what kept his emotional door open. He didn't want that to happen, he didn't want to cause that.

"Here…" she answered, suddenly sounding very small to him. Gibbs slowly brought his gaze to the bed. "…I want to be here." Kate sat up and tucked one leg beneath her, setting her clasped hands in her lap. Gibbs made his way over to the bed and sat beside her, his thigh grazing hers.

"You _are_ here, Kate." He said softly with a calm tone of honesty. She swallowed as she turned her head to face him. The uncertainty in her eyes made him bleed, but whether it was uncertainty of her own actions or of his, he wasn't quite sure. He slipped his hand to rest on her knee, squeezing gently as he spoke, this time with a little more force in his words, "Where do you want to be…"

Kate wet her lips and pressed them together before slightly pursing them in thought. At first she faltered, but she recovered with a distinctive strength returning to her voice, "With you." He squeezed her knee again before patting her leg and nodding. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. He ran a comforting hand from the crown of her head to the back, stroking her hair softly, almost nervously. His eyes wavered, but eventually he met her gaze which seemed to urge him on.

Still cupping the back of her head as he leaned his face in close, "I _love_ you…" Gibbs murmured softly, his eyes flashed coolly and with affectionate seriousness. "I am… in love," he exhaled as he paused, "with you."

Her lips parted slightly as she stared at him and he smirked at her speechlessness. Kate closed the gap that suddenly became this gulf of space that she could no longer stand. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him to her tightly, resting her chin on his shoulder. She didn't want to let him or this moment go. Kate squeezed him, in the hopes of making time stand still. A chill ran through her as she felt his hands softly caressing her lower back, she shuddered slightly and, in his ear, whispered in a voice thick with emotion and threatening with tears, "_I love you, too_…" She buried her face into the crook of his neck, instinctively scooting into his lap. Gibbs welcomed it and firmly held her to his chest as his 'Kate smile' returned to his face. They sat in comfortable silence, soaking in the emotional depths of the morning. He rubbed her back soothingly and softly stroked her hair, breathing her in, continuing to grin over her shoulder. Maybe he wouldn't have to take her home tonight.

Maybe she was already there.

* * *


End file.
